"All those who have signed up, step forward. Others, retreat quickly."
As soon as the junior sect disciple on the left finished speaking, Lin Chu hurried towards the area below the high platform.
The other registered candidates also did the same, and many accompanying family members remained to watch.
When everyone had taken their positions, the disciple on the right spoke, "All candidates, guided by the tokens in your hands, proceed to the first round of selection. The disciple selection begins now!"
As the junior sect disciple finished speaking, Lin Chu immediately looked down at the token in his hand.
The token glowed slightly, as if a force was pulling him towards the foot of the mountain. Lin Chu looked around. All candidates had been divided into five groups, just like him, and were moving towards the foot of Mount Shaoyin.
Seeing this, Lin Chu looked up and discovered that five long ladders had appeared at the foot of Mount Shaoyin at some point. From his position, he couldn't see the top.
"Could it be that they want us to climb this sky ladder?" Lin Chu thought to himself, then looked up at Bai Yuwei on the high platform.
As if sensing his gaze, Bai Yuwei, her face veiled, slowly turned her head and nodded slightly towards Lin Chu.
When all candidates had reached their positions, the junior sect disciple spoke again, "All candidates, the first round of selection is to climb the sky ladder. The number of steps you climb will determine whether you pass the first trial. One hour for timing, begin now!"
As the junior sect disciple's words fell, all candidates immediately rushed towards the sky ladder. Lin Chu saw this and shook his head slightly.
Having followed Brother Lin Xuan and Grandpa climbing mountains and crossing ridges since childhood, he understood the principle of not rushing when climbing. Although some were rushing ahead, their consumption was also immense. With time, their strength would naturally dwindle.
Watching as people began to ascend the sky ladder one after another, Lin Chu took a deep breath and stepped onto it.
Huh?
As Lin Chu stepped onto the first rung, he immediately realized that this sky ladder was somewhat unusual. There was a gravity on the ladder, as if it was preventing him from climbing further. Lin Chu looked up and saw that everyone seemed to have realized this.
Especially those who had rushed to the ladder first had red faces, struggling to resist.
"This must be the sect's trial," Lin Chu thought to himself.
However, Lin Chu wasn't too worried. His body was much stronger than ordinary people. Although there was resistance on the sky ladder, he could still manage. With that thought, Lin Chu lifted his foot again and continued to ascend.
In the blink of an eye, half an hour passed. Many candidates had stopped and were panting heavily. Even Lin Chu was starting to feel the increased resistance and considerable physical exertion. However, Lin Chu's steps had not stopped.
"Hmm, there are indeed some promising seedlings this year. Look, the top five candidates on the first sky ladder have already reached the nine hundred and fifty-third step. Several candidates on the other four ladders have also surpassed nine hundred steps."
At this moment, the man in the black robe on the high platform looked at the five sky ladders and nodded with satisfaction.
The people on the high platform also nodded, their eyes flashing with satisfaction.
Bai Yuwei's bright eyes, however, were fixed on Lin Chu. Although Lin Chu had only climbed over eight hundred steps, he hadn't stopped, which surprised Bai Yuwei somewhat.
"Holy Maiden, your focus seems to be different from ours. Look at that child; he hasn't stopped since the beginning." Elder Qingfeng glanced at Bai Yuwei, then curiously followed her gaze, and said with a smile.
"Oh? There's such a contestant?" everyone said upon hearing this and followed Elder Qingfeng's gaze.
"Hmm, this contestant has steady steps and good resilience. I didn't expect the contestant the Holy Maiden is watching to have such an extraordinary side," an old man in white robes sitting to Elder Qingfeng's left stroked his beard and said with a smile.
"This child once saved my life on Mount Huxia, and I brought him back to the sect. Coincidentally, the sect was recruiting disciples, so I registered him. Whether he can pass the trial depends on himself," Bai Yuwei said faintly.
"So that's how it is. No wonder the Holy Maiden is here to observe today. I didn't expect the one who saved the Holy Maiden to be this child." Everyone suddenly understood.
Elder Qingfeng pondered for a moment and did not speak further, but his gaze lingered on Lin Chu for a moment.
Another quarter of an hour passed. Most of the candidates on the five sky ladders had stopped. Many who couldn't withstand the resistance had also chosen to withdraw.
At this time, sweat was trickling down Lin Chu's face, but his steps had not stopped.
"In previous years, as the remaining time decreases, the resistance increases. It's rare for any candidate to maintain a consistent climbing pace. I'm truly impressed today. I must say, the boy who saved the Holy Maiden possesses astonishing perseverance and body control."
The man in the black robe sighed as he watched Lin Chu continue to climb higher on the sky ladder.
The others on the high platform nodded in agreement. Bai Yuwei, however, showed no outward reaction, but the light in her eyes spoke volumes.
"Holy Maiden, do you think this child can last until the end?" Elder Qingfeng turned his head and asked Bai Yuwei.
Bai Yuwei shook her head slightly, "He is but an ordinary person, and more importantly, a child. In this final fifteen minutes, the resistance increases exponentially. Even I, in my prime, did not persevere until the very end."
Elder Qingfeng smiled slightly and then continued to watch Lin Chu, who was still climbing.
At this moment, Lin Chu felt the heavy resistance under his feet, and with every step, the resistance increased. His legs felt as if they were filled with lead, making it difficult to lift. His entire body was already drenched in sweat.
Wiping away some sweat, Lin Chu finally stopped. Looking up, he saw that there were only two other contestants above him. Both of them offered him a kind smile, and Lin Chu returned a smile and nodded in acknowledgment.
"I should have passed the test, right?" Lin Chu turned his head, his gaze falling towards the high platform, which was now barely visible, and sat down slowly.
"Is the time almost up?" Elder Qingfeng asked two disciples as he watched Lin Chu stop.
"Replying to Elder Qingfeng, there are still five minutes left," a junior sect disciple replied with a bow.
Elder Qingfeng nodded and said, "All candidates who have surpassed one thousand steps will pass the preliminary selection and enter the re-selection. Those who have surpassed eight hundred steps will be taken as outer disciples."
"Yes." The two junior sect disciples immediately began to record.
Hum.
With a humming sound, the five sky ladders suddenly lit up with a white light. Then, all the contestants vanished instantly. After the white light faded, Lin Chu and the others reappeared at the foot of the high platform. However, nearly half of the contestants were gone.
"The first round of selection has concluded. Congratulations, you have successfully passed!"